


this heavy burden i must carry

by unmootivated



Series: Edeleth Short Stories [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Crimson Flower, F/F, Post-Crimson Flower, Post-Time Skip, Summer!Byleth and Brave!Edelgard, pre-TWSitD war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25960090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unmootivated/pseuds/unmootivated
Summary: “Edelgard!” A wide smile broke out on Byleth’s face as she quickened her pace toward the younger woman, the love of her life.Edelgard paused at the sound of her name and turned her head in the direction of the voice calling out to her. Her violet eyes widened at the sight of Byleth.“P-professor! What are you wearing?!”Alternatively: Summer!Byleth and Brave!Edelgard. (But in the FE3H universe, not the FEH one.)
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Edeleth Short Stories [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839928
Comments: 11
Kudos: 135





	this heavy burden i must carry

It was late in the evening when Edelgard and her entourage of soldiers arrived back at the Imperial palace. Edelgard let out a soft sigh of relief as her Adrestian home at last came into view, the castle’s dark shadow in the night looming over them. 

With a loud clang, the gates to the palace opened up to let the emperor of all Fódlan and her soldiers through. Edelgard gave her rein a shake to prompt her trusty steed to begin trotting forward again.

Around noon that day, shortly after Edelgard had concluded one of her council meetings, Hubert had approached the young monarch bearing information from his spies about members of those who slither in the dark - or rather, the Agarthans, Edelgard reminded herself - being spotted near the Morgaine Ravine. With the location’s proximity being so close to Enbarr, Edelgard had opted to lead a small army of soldiers herself to investigate the area and eliminate their enemies.

At the time, she had also figured that it would be a good break from all her seemingly endless post-war meetings.

Well, post-war against the Church of Seiros anyway. Soon, Fodlan would be at war again - this time against the man masquerading as her uncle and his slithery friends. But whenever the chance presented itself, Edelgard would first try to take out as many of them from the shadows as she could.

Regardless, she had not meant for the mission to be a long one. The ravine was just a little more than an hour away on horseback from Enbarr, and Edelgard was certain that wiping out any Agarthans there would have only taken a few hours more.

As she should have expected, however, midway along the path to the ravine, Edelgard and her troops had instead been ambushed. In the long ensuing battle, about a quarter of her troops were slain. And though they eventually managed to prevail over their shadowy foes, Edelgard decided that their losses had been too great and ultimately chose to draw back from her mission.

Not wanting to waste another minute, she had then taken a smaller group from among the able-bodied members of her troops to head back to the Imperial capital with.

“Your Majesty.” 

Hubert bowed deeply as Edelgard hopped off her horse and handed the reins to a waiting stableboy, murmuring a small thank-you to the teen who looked absolutely flustered to be in the emperor’s presence. She dismissed the troops that had returned to Enbarr with her, then turned back around to face her minister as the stablehand led her white mare away.

“Hubert, I need you to organize new troops that I can lead back out to the Morgaine Ravine immediately,” Edelgard ordered, her voice steely and forceful. The two began to walk toward the palace’s main front doors. “We were ambushed about halfway along the path to the ravine. I estimate that about a fourth of my soldiers had been killed and a half more injured.”

“They knew you were coming. Perhaps there are some spies among my spies that need weeding out.”

The emperor gave a stiff nod, her gaze hardening. “All the more reason I need to head back before those who slither in the dark decide to launch another assault.”

“Your Majesty,” Hubert began, and his eyes narrowed as the two stepped through the palace doors and into the castle’s large throne room. “Unfortunately, given your condition, I believe a better idea would be for me to lead those troops instead.” His voice was cool and staunch, making it clear that he would not be tolerating any objections to his suggestion. “With all due respect, you look as though you’re ready to collapse at any moment.”

Edelgard let out a long exhale of defeat. Was her fatigue truly that noticeable?

“You need not worry. I will not fail you.”

“I know, Hubert.” The emperor lacked the energy to argue even if she had wanted to. “Alright, then. Gather the soldiers you need and make haste.”

“Shall I also fetch the healers to tend to your wounds?”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” the young ruler replied curtly. She kept her eyes facing forward, unable to look at Hubert as she thought back to how badly she had failed her soldiers. “You should probably take as many healers as you can with you instead.”

A gauntleted hand tightened into a fist as the emperor recalled just how willing so many of her soldiers had been to throw themselves on the enemies' blades for her. She had never gotten used to it during the five years the Adrestian Empire had been at war with the Church of Seiros, and she certainly still wasn’t used to it now, no matter the battle and no matter the enemy.

She doubted whether she would ever be.

_Bring them home, Hubert._

“As you command, Lady Edelgard.” The Minister of the Imperial Household gave another bow before retreating to carry out his liege’s orders.

Now alone, Edelgard pushed through another set of palace doors and began to drag her feet in the direction of her bedroom. A bedroom she shared with Byleth.

A small smile flickered across the young woman’s face at the thought of her fiancée.

With any luck, perhaps Byleth was at their bedroom already, getting ready for the night. If she was, then after Edelgard cleaned herself up, the two could have a light chat about Byleth’s day before Edelgard headed to her office to await news of Hubert’s return.

Not Edelgard’s day, though. If she could avoid it, the emperor would rather not speak at all about her dreadful mission-gone-wrong. One glance down at herself made her question whether this was a conversation she would even be able to circumvent, however.

Splashes of blood and deep indentations marked her golden armor from where the sharp ends of blades and arrows had hit her. The Agarthans had used powerful weapons made of some unknown material that had somehow managed to pierce her supposedly impervious armor.

She would have Hubert look more into what exactly their foes had used later.

And as she continued along the corridor, she made another mental note to spend the next day fully facing her mission’s failure head on. 

Cooped up in her office, she would tally up the exact number of the Empire’s losses and plan out her next moves against the Agarthans in the morning. She would then bring flowers to adorn her fallen soldiers’ graves and to mourn their deaths in the afternoon.

But presently, what Fódlan’s emperor desired most of all was a bit of rest.

~❀~

Byleth had been out the entire day since dawn first broke. As discreetly as she could so as to not wake up Edelgard, the commander of the Black Eagle Strike Force had at first slipped out of bed and given her future wife a gentle kiss on the forehead before getting ready for the day. 

She had then made sure to scribble down a quick note to let Edelgard know what her plans were for the day before leaving the bedroom, locking the door quietly behind her.

Earlier in the week, Byleth had promised Dorothea that she would spend the day helping her former student give swimming lessons to the children at a local orphanage in Enbarr. All too pleased and thankful for the professor’s assistance, Dorothea had gone out and bought them matching two-piece swimsuits.

“They’re black! The traditional color that the soldiers of Adrestia wear!” the songstress had said cheerfully as she handed Byleth swimwear that looked suspiciously similar to undergarments. “Mine’s comes with an additional skirt, and yours with a cape. And some other accessories - you’ll see. You’ll look fabulous in it; I promise!”

Byleth raised a brow at the swimsuit in her hands. Curiously, she poked a finger at a pink tassel attached to one of the pieces. “What’s this for?”

“Oh, it’s just fashion, Professor. Don’t pay it too much mind,” Dorothea laughed, before grabbing onto one of Byleth’s wrists and practically dragging the older woman away toward the orphanage. 

“Plus I’m sure Edie will _really_ appreciate what you’re wearing later.”

The songstress glanced over her shoulder to throw a quick wink in Byleth’s direction, and Byleth felt her face heat up at her former student’s implication.

The rest of the day had subsequently gone and went, with the pair teaching many excited children about the important techniques of how not to drown. Before they had known it, the sky had turned dark and after a small dinner, the two said their goodbyes and parted ways.

Now, Byleth was headed back to her bedroom at the Imperial palace, a torch in one hand to light her way as she strode leisurely down the corridor. The day had been quite a success and now many of the children swam as though they had been born in the water. 

If only she could get Edelgard to be as eager to learn how to swim as the children had been...

She turned a corner and froze. It was as if thinking about the emperor had summoned her.

Standing before the bedroom doors at the far end of the dimly lit hallway was none other than Edelgard von Hrsevelg herself, dressed in full golden armor - the legendary regalia of the Adrestian emperor. One hand held the top of a huge shield and the long handle of a giant axe, while her other hand extended out to open one of the doors before her.

“Edelgard!” A wide smile broke out on Byleth’s face as she quickened her pace toward the younger woman, the love of her life.

Edelgard paused at the sound of her name and turned her head in the direction of the voice calling out to her. Her violet eyes widened at the sight of Byleth.

“P-professor! What are you wearing?!”

“Swimwear,” Byleth replied as she continued to draw nearer, giving her one-shoulder capelet a little flick as she threw it back behind her. “Dorothea gave it to me. We were teaching the young ones at the orphanage how to swim today. You did read the note I left for you, didn’t you?”

“Ah, yes. I did.”

Edelgard’s voice sounded ragged and hoarse. Byleth frowned.

_Something’s wrong._

And when Byleth finally reached the other woman, her suspicions were confirmed when the light from her torch revealed a rather ghastly display before the former mercenary. 

Edelgard stood haggardly before her, looking much the worse for wear with badly damaged armor and blood spattered all over her. A part of her crown had been destroyed and much of her hair now flowed freely down her back and over her shoulders. 

The ordinarily white hair was stained a dark hue, heavily matted with what Byleth presumed was blood and dirt.

“Edelgard…”

Byleth hung her torch on a hook beside the doorway, then unclasped her cape to gingerly dab the fabric against the side of Edelgard’s forehead where a particularly nasty gash had begun to bleed again. Raising her other hand, she casted a heal spell over the injury.

The faint glow of the faith spell momentarily illuminated the entire hallway as the damaged skin sealed itself back together til just a thin pink line remained.

“This is going to scar,” Byleth said apologetically as the spell fizzled away. She put her cape back on - nevermind the blood - and then began to inspect Edelgard for any other surface injuries.

“That’s fine,” Edelgard replied dryly. “Just one more for the collection.”

Up close, Byleth could see dark bags under Edelgard’s eyes and an unfocused look in the emperor’s normally sharp gaze. The ruler’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly forward, much unlike the usual straight posture she proudly held on a day-to-day basis. 

Edelgard was clearly exhausted.

“What happened, my heart?” probed Byleth softly, a hand caressing Edelgard’s cheek.

For a while, Edelgard didn’t respond, choosing to instead let out a soft, appreciative sigh as she closed her eyes and leaned into Byleth’s touch. 

As the silence prolonged, Byleth worried that perhaps the obviously drained younger woman had not heard her. But then Edelgard blearily opened her eyes and said in a sleepy murmur, “I’ll tell you after I…”

Her voice faded out as her eyelids began to slide shut again. Edelgard’s knees buckled and Byleth’s arms shot down to catch the younger woman as the emperor’s axe and shield clattered loudly to the ground beside them.

“Edelgard?!”

~❀~

“Easy… Easy there,” Byleth said as she gently guided Edelgard to a corner of their bedroom and eased her down onto a cushioned chair. “I’ll go get your shield and axe, and then come back to help get your armor off. We’ll check your injuries and draw a bath for you afterwards, alright? Stay put.”

“Thank you, my teacher…”

Byleth gave a small smile before leaving the room, and Edelgard sank into her seat, a heavy sigh slipping from her lips as she stared listlessly at the doorway. A part of her was convinced she was hallucinating. 

There was absolutely no way that Byleth was actually wearing such a scanty attire right now. No way her wife-to-be had worn such a revealing swimsuit out in public for all to see the entire day.

...Right?

The mission must have really taken its toll on the emperor. Was Edelgard on the verge of losing her mind?

But… No. Edelgard knew that her professor was often brazen with the way she dressed, uncaring of judgments on whatever outfit she wore. If Dorothea had truly given that swimsuit to Byleth, then it wasn’t at all _that_ surprising that Byleth was currently dressed in such a scandalous way.

Besides, Edelgard didn’t mind what she saw. Perhaps even enjoyed the view a far bit more than she was willing to admit to herself.

Oh, why did Byleth have to have such a well-toned and eye-pleasing physique?

Edelgard tried not to ogle too much when Byleth at last came back, the Adrestian shield in one hand and Hauteclere in the other. Clearing her throat, the emperor tried to sit up a bit straighter in her chair as she attempted to make casual conversation.

“How was your day, my teacher?”

“I think I’d much rather ask you about yours,” the older woman quipped back as she moved to put the two items away in a closet by the doorway.

“Later. After I bathe.”

“Okay,” Byleth said as she closed the closet doors, before turning to look at Edelgard. “Let’s get you out of your armor now.”

As Byleth approached, Edelgard could see lines of red streaked across her dear teacher’s skin. A consequence from catching the emperor when she had almost blacked out earlier, no doubt. The younger woman’s brows knitted together at the sight.

“I’m afraid I’ve gotten blood all over you, my light.”

“That’s fine. I’ll just bathe with you then.”

Edelgard opened her mouth to protest when Byleth suddenly sat down on the emperor’s lap, legs dangling on opposite sides of the chair so that she was straddling the smaller woman. A furious blush climbed up over the young ruler’s neck and face at Byleth’s risqué action.

The empress-to-be leaned forward to peck a swift kiss below the injury on Edelgard’s forehead, her body deliberately brushing up against the armor that Edelgard wore as she did so.

Edelgard’s mouth arched downward into a displeased scowl as an exasperated sigh left her lips instead. “And now you’ve gotten even more blood all over you. Well done, Byleth.” She shook her head in disapproval. “I suppose you will have to bathe with me after all.” 

The young monarch felt something press against the top part of her chestplate, and her lilac eyes flickered down to see Byleth’s hands cupping the curve of the golden armor where her breasts were held. Her blush darkened as her eyes jumped back up to look at Byleth suspiciously.

“...What are you doing?”

“Energizing you. I need you to stay awake for just a little longer,” Byleth replied plainly, then smirked as her hands slid down Edelgard’s armored sides and to her back to start fiddling with the clasps holding the chestplate in place. “I was told you might like this. Is it working?”

“Quite,” Edelgard admitted wanly, her face still set ablaze. She placed her gauntleted hands on Byleth’s hips carefully, not wanting to accidentally cut into the older woman’s exposed skin.

“Would you like for me to talk about anything in the meantime?”

“Why don’t you finally tell me about how your day went? How _did_ those swimming lessons at the orphanage go?”

~❀~

Byleth had successfully divested Edelgard of her broken crown and her upper body armor pieces before she was momentarily sidetracked by Edelgard herself.

The professor was in the middle of mentioning how the guards standing near the orphanage had asked to join in on the lessons, all quite eager to learn how to swim too, when Edelgard had abruptly grasped at Byleth’s face with her two hands. 

For someone who had nearly passed out mere moments before, the emperor of all Fódlan appeared to be rather wide awake now.

“Did any of the guards touch you inappropriately?!” she demanded, her purple eyes staring intently into Byleth’s azure ones.

“Uh.” Byleth slowly blinked in thought at the other woman’s question. “No?”

“Good. They should know better.”

“I’m your future spouse. Would anyone really dare to touch me like that?” Byleth mused aloud.

“You would be surprised,” the emperor seemingly muttered to herself before pulling Byleth’s head down to capture the empress-to-be’s lips in a fierce kiss. 

As her lips moved to match the rhythm set by her betrothed, Byleth tangled her hands in Edelgard’s disheveled hair and shifted her body closer, relishing in the warm touch of Edelgard’s body pressed flush against her own. She could feel Edelgard’s tongue on her bottom lip, the emperor wanting to deepen the kiss.

But the moment was promptly ruined when a sharp metal edge unexpectedly slit into Byleth’s thigh, eliciting a pained hiss from the older woman. She pulled her head back and looked down at her leg. 

The top part of Edelgard’s knee-plate had nicked Byleth’s upper thigh, and a small bit of blood now covered the golden poleyn.

“Byleth! Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, I-”

“It’s fine,” Byleth interrupted as she extracted her hands from Edelgard’s hair, moving them down to instead start removing the offending piece of armor from Edelgard’s knee. “Don’t worry about it.”

The former mercenary had suffered far worse injuries in the past. While certainly annoying, this minor scratch was almost nothing to her.

“Let’s just finish relieving you of your armor now.”

~❀~

Steam wisped from the heated water of the bath as it dispelled into the air and increased the temperature of the private bathroom. The Imperial couple sat facing each other in one corner of a large bath, soaking pleasantly in the warm water. 

It was a bath that was much too large for a single emperor, and one that Edelgard had often found quite lonely whenever she had returned to Enbarr during the five years Fódlan had been at war. 

But now, Edelgard had Byleth to occasionally join her during her bathing rituals, whether that be here or elsewhere, and the once persistent loneliness Edelgard had felt during bath time soon became few and far between.

Edelgard would always be grateful for the other woman’s companionship. Thankful that her dear professor had chosen to stay by her side.

Rose petals floated above in the water. A plentiful amount that covered up most of the royal couple’s bodies in the water. Edelgard hummed in pleasure as she closed her eyes and sunk deeper into the bath, the rosewater soothing her sore muscles and easing her mind. 

Her long, silken hair fanned out in the water before her, having been cleaned of the blood and grime that had previously caked it.

Before the two had entered the bath’s waters, Byleth had been nothing but meticulous as she had tenderly washed away the signs of battle from her love’s body. Byleth had kissed at every bruise and cut she had come across, and even now, Edelgard could still feel the lingering tingles of where Byleth’s lips had brushed upon her skin.

Edelgard, despite her enervation, had only been more than happy to return the favor for Byleth afterward, rinsing the older woman of the blood she had earlier smeared onto her figure while getting handsy with her future wife.

Her dear teacher’s monotonous voice broke the tranquil silence that had fallen over the two. “So what happened on your mission?”

Edelgard opened her eyes to find Byleth’s cobalt-colored ones staring at her, assessing her. Of course her ever the astute professor had deduced that she had gone on some type of mission. Feeling a little self-conscious, the emperor sat up straighter in the bath, the rose petals pooling around her drifting slightly away at the sudden movement. 

“I said I would tell you later, my teacher,” she reminded the other woman.

“I know you did, but… your injuries. I can’t stop thinking about them. Can’t you just tell me now?” Byleth’s eyes rounded as worry pooled into them, and Edelgard found that she couldn’t deny her betrothed’s request.

The emperor looked down at the bathwater briefly before looking back up to meet Byleth’s troubled gaze. “Alright,” she relented. “I’ll tell you.”

As succinctly as she could, Edelgard recounted all the major events that had occurred for her during the last half of her day, starting from noon to nightfall. She told Byleth of how she had received intel of possible Agarthans sighted near the Morgaine Ravine, of how she had personally led several troops of soldiers to investigate the situation only to be ambushed, and of the bloodshed the consequent battle had entailed.

Byleth stiffened as the emperor finished recapping her day. The army commander’s lips pursed together, and a small frown creased her forehead.

“I should have been there.” 

The usually calm voice was laced with a hint of bitterness.

“No,” Edelgard said, her own brows furrowing. “There was no need for that. I'm the emperor; it’s my responsibility to-”

Byleth’s frown deepened, a soft growl escaping her lips, “Sometimes it seems like you’re _always_ the emperor. But I know that’s not true.” She grabbed at a bunch of flower petals, clenching them tightly in her fist before letting the crumpled petals go. “You should have sent for me! I would have gone with you.” The older woman let out a strangled sigh and turned her head away, no longer looking at Edelgard.

The reaction took Edelgard aback, the outburst of anger so unlike her typically stoic and coolheaded professor. Had it really hurt Byleth that badly to not be informed of the emperor’s impromptu mission? The younger woman gazed sadly at her teacher, not knowing what to say.

For a moment, Byleth remained silent too as she continued to look anywhere but at Edelgard. Then, she dropped her head to her chest and muttered, “That was dangerous, El. Please don’t do that again.”

The usage of her childhood nickname dug deep into Edelgard’s heart.

“I’m sorry, my light. I suppose a part of me just wanted to protect you, too.” 

Because that was what the source of Byleth’s anger was, wasn’t it? A desire to protect Edelgard, just as Edelgard wished to protect Byleth.

“I… I just… don’t want to lose you to _them_ . Not like…” Byleth trailed off, her eyes glazing over when she finally looked back up, only to stare listlessly over Edelgard’s shoulder into some haunted memory of the distant past. Guilt wormed its way into Edelgard as the younger woman realized what, or rather _who_ , Byleth was thinking about.

"You said that we would face the world and carry our burdens together," Byleth mumbled. “There can’t be any exceptions to that.”

Edelgard ran a hand through her hair in frustration with herself, then let the hand plop back into the bathwater. Byleth was right. 

There could be no exceptions if there was to be a solid relationship built on trust between them. They were partners and equals in this life, and it wouldn’t do to hide things from each other, especially potentially perilous missions that could turn life-or-death in a blink of an eye.

Edelgard should have informed Byleth of her last-minute mission.

She waded across the water toward Byleth, pushing through the crimson flower petals that floated along the path to her other half. When she was at last face-to-face with the other woman, Edelgard reached for Byleth’s hands beneath the water, lacing their fingers together.

“I just don’t want you to feel as though you’re obligated to come with me on every mission I get,” Edelgard began, only to be shushed by Byleth with a delicate kiss to her lips.

“It’s not out of obligation. I _want_ to go with you,” Byleth said as she pulled away. “Besides, you’ve always given me a choice on whether or not to actually join you before you head out. I promise I haven’t been saying ‘yes’ all this time because I felt like I had to.”

Byleth paused, then frowned lightly again. “That is, when I’m aware there’s even a mission you need to go on in the first place.”

“Then it’s settled,” Edelgard said with a smile as she brought their intertwined hands up from the water and turned them to kiss the back of Byleth’s hands. “From now on, whenever there’s a mission I need to set out on, I’ll let you know so that you’ll have a chance to join me if you so choose to.”

“Thank you, my dearest El.”

Edelgard’s smile broadened at the endearment. She let go of Byleth’s hands to instead cozy up by her fiancée’s side, resting her head on the other woman’s chest as Byleth draped an arm over the emperor’s shoulders. Edelgard closed her eyes in contentment, a part of her wanting the two of them to stay like this forever.

The sound of Byleth’s heart beat loudly in Edelgard’s ear. A reminder.

Maybe the goddess didn’t exist. But if there were such a thing as a perfect being out there…

Byleth was pretty close to it.

\- ❀ -

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently the artworks for S!Byleth and B!Edelgard are drawn by the same artist. That’s neat.
> 
> Anyway, the crimson flower petals that surround Brave!Edelgard when she’s attacking? Her hair falling down when she’s heavily damaged? The Emperor class armor in general?? Why is she so perfect-
> 
> Okay, thanks for reading this very questionable fic idea. As with my previous fics, I had no idea what to title this - so here’s another kind of lame title until I can maybe think of a better one. =)


End file.
